Former councillors demand Sh18 billion

Over 12,000 former councillors are demanding a one-off gratuity payment that will cost taxpayers Sh18 billion if approved by the Senate.

They also want to be paid a Sh30,000 monthly pension, which could cost a further Sh4.3 billion a year.

The former councillors — who served between 1963 and March 2013 — claimed the gratuity and pension were a right, saying that MPs awarded themselves a similar package under the Grand Coalition Government.

About 6,000 councillors, who met at the Safaricom Stadium, Kasarani, in Nairobi for talks on their demands, presented a petition to West Pokot Senator John Lonyangapuo to table before the Senate.

Their petition is the latest demand for cash from public coffers after school teachers won a court battle for a salary raise of between 50 per cent and 60 per cent last month.

Mr Hezron Kirimi, the chairman of the National Councillors of Kenya Forum, said the members should be rewarded after working for the nation.

“All these projects taking place in the counties were initiated by us, but we do not get any gratitude from the government,” he said.

“It is about time that the government recognised us as former councillors as we also deserve dignity and respect just like other former leaders by getting retirement benefits.”

FIVE DEMANDS

According to Mr Kirimi, county governments were reaping revenue from the systems and institutions that the now defunct councils had established, licensed or regulated at the grassroots.

These include markets, parking lots and all other revenue sources that are benefiting the county governments. He said councillors had not been recognised for this contribution.

The petition presented to Prof Lonyangapuo listed five specific demands: A Sh1.5 million one-off payment for each former councillor, Sh30,000 pension a month and a medical insurance scheme for each and their families.

They also want to be involved in development forums within their respective counties and to be allowed to chair boards that will oversee development in their wards and exempted from paying parking fees.

Mr Kirimi said the government had been discriminating against the former councillors, considering the benefits that retired presidents and former members of Parliament were receiving.

In 2012, MPs amended the law to award themselves Sh3.7 million as gratuity each, up from Sh1.5 million. The move sparked protests from some leaders and the wananchi, including then Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

'WALLOWING IN POVERTY'

He said that by the time councillors were phased out by the new Constitution promulgated in August 2010, they were earning Sh32,000, but members of county assemblies are paid over Sh200,000 a month.

Prof Lonyangapuo said he supported the former councillors’ demand because they had served the country since independence and the motion to give them a retirement package was timely.

He said most of the former leaders were wallowing in poverty even after they initiated numerous development projects across the country.

“These councillors started to fight for boundaries even before the country could realise that there would be counties and they were never rewarded. Most of them are living in absolute poverty,” the Senator said.

He also said the Jubilee administration had enough money to pay the councillors and the teachers.

“The government used and dumped the councillors. That is the highest level of impunity and yet the welfare of the President and the Legislature is well-taken care of,” said the former university mathematics lecturer.

MEAGRE SALARIES

Just as the President and members of Parliament were elected, so were the councillors, but nobody ever speaks for them when it comes to retirement benefits, he added.

In his view, it was discriminatory of the government to set aside money for the elderly but fail to pay retirement benefits to the former councillors.

“This government also saw it wise to pay an unknown group calling themselves Kenya Police Reservists Sh15,000 a month and also those assisting chiefs, Sh5,000 a month. They have the money to pay the councillors, too,” he said.

Ms Muthoni Kihara, who served as councillor in the now defunct Nairobi City Council, said she and her colleagues had spent large amounts of money during their campaigns only to be paid meagre salaries after winning elections and being locked out of benefits after they left office.

She said the councillors had campaigned for the new Constitution, which also phased out provincial administrators. According to her, whereas provincial administrators were recognised and absorbed by the National Government, councillors were left out after the Constitution was promulgated.

“We campaigned knowing very well we would be phased out with the provincial administration. But look what happened? We were ignored while they were given a new name,” she said.